Preparing for Winter V

Floss

Thanks for your reminder about stone pigs @Laura_Elsewhere - I managed to acquire one today for £4 😁

nicki_2

My heating has come on a couple of times this week. Yesterday, although it was okay outside, when I went to go for a shower at 8pm I turned the heating up to 21C and set a reminder on my phone for 9.30pm to turn it back down. By the time I'd had my shower and turned the heating back down my house was very cosy. So much so that I woke up to dripping wet windows in my bedroom and bathroom so I had those windows open for a few hours today until they'd dried off. Then today, even with the windows open, my heating didn't kick in until about an hour ago

Did my meter readings today - I've used an average of 5 units of electricity a day, and 0.45 units of gas (that's before converting) a day over the past 11 days. Not bad considering how many hot drinks I've had, the fact our TV has been on for a minimum of 12 hours a day, I charge a battery pack every other day for my mobile phone which I use to play sleep meditation overnight without my battery dying, I've done about 5 loads of laundry and dried it using a dehumidifier for at least 8 hours a time then our shower is electric and I've had 2 long showers in the past 11 days due to how I currently have to shower. Hopefully I'll get the all clear to shower properly next week when I go the hospital and I'll be able to gradually get them down from 30-40 minutes back to 10-15min. When son was here we topped out at 7.7units of electricity a day on average, and a max of 3.89 gas (before conversion) daily average. I don't mind the gas as that's cheaper, but the electric I want to keep at about 5-6 units a day which means I'm going to have to get organised for batch cooking at some point, and pizza is going to have to start being a treat on batch cooking days when the oven is already on.

Auntycaz

Re the washers for the stone water bottles. I've managed to find some white silicon rubber ones on Amazon. I bought a pack of 5 for £10.40 including postage and they fit perfectly. They do several sizes varying in size and price, I bought the ones which were 3mm thick, 44mm outside diameter and 22mm inside diameter.

sammy_kaye18

I think I am going to need all the winter prep I can get this year. 
Husband is starting to feel the cold already and when Im home Im happy to have windows and doors airing the houes but the weather has definitely taken a turn. 
I did manage to find out the expanding pole that I hung a door curtain on last year to keep the heat trapped in the living room because we have no door from the kitchen to the living room or the back porch where the back door is. I think I might invest in another one to put out there too though so I can still have the door open and air clothes in the back porch / bathroom but without the cold blowing through the house. 

Also hoping to start stocking up on tins again and have spent the last week making comprehensive lists in my notebook about things to buy and stock up on as and when I do a shop and have been getting containers too for making things like soup , storing pulses/oats etc and having a stock of flour/sugar/yeast etc. 

I cleared out under the sink today and there is 3 hot water bottle in there as well so we can keep snug. Both kids have weighted blankets too and 9ft U shaped pillows so they can snuggle down in bed and are kept comfy and last year I used a big fleece blanket over our duvet to keep us warmer and husband was happy with that but I am considering buying some teddy bedding for us all since Ive found them relatively cheap. 

I also have been sent slipper from canada which I am finding really comfortable and they keep my feet nice and warm without being to clunky like a proper shoe and not thick enough like a sock so my friend is going to send me a few more pairs. 

We are quite lucky in that our neighbour seems to have her heating on 24/7 so we get residual heat through the wall from her but our gas seems so expensive with OVO. We are on their cheapest tariff but every time I top up £10 recently it takes a load off for a debt and leaves us with about £3. I think I need to just put a chunk of my wage on and watch what we use - its only for heating and hot water as we cook with electric  and is only husband who has baths as the rest of us prefer showers so should last us a good while if everyone helps out and plays ball plus its only me and 3 dogs in the day so I will happily layer up than turn the heating on. 

Floss

Sammy, find a fluffy fleece blanket for your DH to put over him under the duvet - it gives an extra layer without weight and is wonderfully cosy 😊 It will be cheaper than new bedding too.

slm6002

Yes I was also going to suggest that the fleece blanket goes between the person and the duvet.  It seems warmer that way without buying anything extra

Elisheba

Floss said:

Sammy, find a fluffy fleece blanket for your DH to put over him under the duvet - it gives an extra layer without weight and is wonderfully cosy 😊 It will be cheaper than new bedding too.

Ooooh, I'll have to try that is winter.  I normally put mine on top and it can move/fall off.

cuddlymarm

Putting a duvet under your bedsheet makes for a very cosy bed too.
Both OH and I are fragile at the moment and are both off sick so I’m hoping the weather this winter won’t be too cold. Our little flat luckily doesn’t take much heating and stays quite warm but we have to be careful not to let it get damp. We have a dehumidifier which goes on for a couple of ours a day if the windows can’t be opened.
I’m currently doing my menus to rotate what’s in my tins and packets cupboards so that I can use one to put Xmas stuff in. The money saved using stocks up is being used on Xmas stuff.
Last winter we did the energy saving times, we’re with BG and just by watching our electricity use for a couple of hours a couple of times a week knocked a few quid off our bill.

weenancyinAmerica

Been shopping for soups on sale. Stocked up on sugar and flour and working on the basics. A bit concerned about the situation in Congress at the moment. If the budget doesn't get worked out, a lot of people will have no money for Christmas. I will get my Social Security as will two of my roommates, but not sure about the extra payment I get or the unemployment checks the other two roommates are currently getting. If the budget doesn't get passed in November, this will be a really bad winter for most of the United States. If there is a government shutdown, most people working for the government, including the military and welfare payments, won't get paid. It is also predicted to be cold and wet where I am. I have enough crocheted blankets to keep us warm. I crochet when under stress - so have done a lot recently. Have enough for the dog and the cats too. Just trying to straighten up the pantry shelves. I also have a three-month supply of survival food in the garage so we won't go hungry. Might have some strange meals. I'm more concerned with paying the credit card bills though, so will be selling what I can to bring the bills down. If I can get rid of some, we will be okay for a few months. My internet is currently free so I can still come and visit on here, without a problem.  Need to stock up on dog and cat food next. 

SuzeQStan

What’s the longest they have gone without passing it @weenancyinAmerica? Surely any extended period would be political su!cide?